A History Lesson

In honor of school resuming, I'd like to take a minute to talk about the men who led the American conservation movement. 

John Muir
Muir is most famous for his "Preservationist Ethic"=nature has intrinsic value. He is considered the "Father of the National Park System" because of his role in creating Yosemite, Sequoia, Mt. Rainier, Petrified Forest, and Grand Canyon National Parks. To protect these parks, he formed the Sierra Club. In 1903, he assisted Teddy Roosevelt in his conservation programs, many of which are still in effect today.  

Gifford Pinchot
Pinchot was the 1st US Forest Service chief, after studying forestry in France. As chief forester, he increased the number and size of national forests, and constructed proper managerial practices for them. He believed in the "Resource Conservation Ethic"=if you manage resources properly, they will be around for generations to come. His work earned him the reputation as "Father of American Conservation".

Aldo Leopold
Considered the "Father of Wildlife Management", Leopold aimed to utilize and conserve resources at the same time. He is known for the "Evolutionary-Ecological Land Ethic"=conservation based on succession, the fact that ecosystems change. Among his published works is the first Fish and Game Handbook used to catapult game management.

Theodore Roosevelt
Our 26th president was quite a force in wildlife conservation! He recognized ecosystems, he believed in conservation through wise use, and that science is the cornerstone of conservation (somethings I think we need to focus more on in today's wold). He made the National Park System, with the help of Mr. Muir and Mr. Pinchot, and because of what he did, the USA is considered one of the best models of wildlife management in the world! (In the future, I will post more about Teddy- right now I'm reading a book about him.) 

You know Theodore Roosevelt was awesome because he was played by Robin Williams (*tries not to cry......cries a lot*)

Well there ya have it folks, four of the founding fathers of wildlife conservation in the US of A. Keep a look out for upcoming posts about everything from tea brands to coyote contests, and, as always, thanks for reading!!